Justin Trudeau said Canada would press for greater liberty in Cuba, but stopped short of condemning a wave of arrests and an apparent attempt to shut down social media after unprecedented street protests roiled the communist nation.The Canadian prime minister, whose father was a friend of Fidel Castro’s, spoke out a day after U.S. President Joe Biden warned the Cuban government against a heavy-handed response to the demonstrators.“Canada has always stood in friendship with the Cuban people,” Trudeau said Tuesday when asked about Havana’s moves to quell dissent. “We have always called for greater freedoms and more defense of human…
Author: Mike Harrison
A day after the Dominican high court granted bail to Mehul Choksi and allowed him to travel to Antigua and Barbuda for medical treatment, a senior official in Antiguan government said fugitive businessman’s arrival at the island was “mere speculation”.Lionel Hurst, the chief of staff to Antigua Prime Minister Gaston Browne, told Hindustan Times over phone – “Choksi is still in Dominica. We have not been informed (of his arrival). There have been no arrangements (yet) to receive him (in Antigua). All these are mere speculations about (him) arriving on a private medical jet”.Hurst, however, refused to comment on whether…
The Taliban warned Turkey on Tuesday against plans to keep some troops in Afghanistan to guard Kabul’s main airport after the withdrawal of foreign soldiers, calling such a strategy “reprehensible” and warning of “consequences”.Ankara, which has offered to run and guard the airport in the capital after Nato withdraws, has been in talks with the US on financial, political and logistical support. “If Turkish officials fail to reconsider their decision and continue the occupation of our country, the Islamic emirate… will take a stand against them,”the Taliban said.A senior insurgent leader also said on Tuesday that the Taliban do not…
Scientists have used CRISPR gene-editing technology to successfully block the transmission of the Sars-CoV-2 virus in infected human cells, according to research released on Tuesday that could pave the way for Covid-19 treatment.Writing in the journal Nature Communications, researchers in Australia said the tool was effective against viral transmissions in laboratory tests, adding that they were hopeing to begin animal trials soon.CRISPR, which allows scientists to alter DNA sequences and modify gene function, has already shown promise in eliminating the genetic coding that drives the development of cancer among children.The team in Tuesday’s study used an enzyme, CRISPR-Cas13b, that binds…
The death toll from a fire that tore through a Covid-19 hospital in southern Iraq rose to 92, health officials said on Tuesday, as authorities faced accusations of negligence from grieving relatives.More than 100 people – patients and visitors – were injured in the blaze on Monday night in Nassiriya, officials said.An investigation showed the fire began when sparks from faulty wiring spread to an oxygen tank that exploded, authorities said.It was Iraq’s second such tragedy in three months, and the country’s president on Tuesday blamed corruption for both. A statement from the prime minister’s office called for national mourning.Rescue…
Electrify America wants to level up its game by doubling its electric vehicle fast-charging network. Right now, the giant tech company is preparing around 1,8000 stations and more than 10,000 chargers for its consumers. As of the moment, Volkswagen’s subsidiary company is considered one of the best EV fast-charging networks across the United States. Electrify America confirmed that it is planning to finish its charging station enhancement this coming 2025. (Photo : Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)A Volkswagen ID.3 electric car charges outside the “Gläserne Manufaktur” (“Glass Manufactory”) production facility on June 08, 2021 in Dresden, Germany. The Dresden plant…
Charger problems plague every electronic device, especially if they get quite old. But with this recent scientific discovery, maybe you won’t need one anymore. (Photo : Peter KovalevTASS via Getty Images)ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 11, 2016: A passenger charging her smartphone at an innovative bus shelter in Nevsky Prospekt Street. The bus stop is fitted with free Wi-Fi and USB mobile phone charging points and also has an electronic information board that provides bus timings. A team of researchers from the University of San Diego claim to have developed a way to charge electronic devices such as smartphones using…
The National Day of France, more commonly known as Bastille Day in English, is a national holiday in the country celebrated on July 14 every year with fireworks and parades. It marks the fall of Bastille, a military fortress and prison, on July 14, 1789, when an angry mob stormed into it, signalling the beginning of the French Revolution.Here is everything you need to know about Bastille Day and why is it celebrated:1. On Wednesday (July 14, 2021), France will celebrate its national day, also known as Bastille Day. In French it is called la Fête nationale or le 14…
The U.S. will warn American companies this week of the increasing risks of operating in Hong Kong, three people familiar with the matter said, as Washington seeks to ramp up pressure over Beijing’s crackdown on the financial center.Those risks include the Chinese government’s ability to gain access to data that foreign companies store in Hong Kong, two of the people confirmed. The warning, first reported by the Financial Times, will come in the form of a business advisory, the people said.Such an alert from President Joe Biden’s administration would underscore how Washington’s concerns about the former British colony have escalated…
US President Joe Biden is reportedly set to name Rahul Gupta as the country’s top drug policy official, adding another Indian-American to a senior position in his administration.Gupta, a primary-care doctor who served as top health official of West Virginia state, is slated to be named director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, a position referred to as “drug czar” – a term coined by Biden.As a senator, Biden had supported the creation of the office. It was formed in 1982 to frame and coordinate national policy on combating substance-use disorders, including the response to an opioid crisis.“President…